1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to elevating facilities for high-rise buildings and, specifically—to combinations of elevator & crane systems running on a rail attached to the outside of a building. The facilities may have an elevator portion—for traveling vertically up and down, and a crane portion—to extend a telescopic arm to a desired location and to support a passenger cabin for rescue operations.
The crane portion can also have a fire-fighting equipment—to access all parts of a building. The invention can be used for fire-fighting & rescue of people and equipment, and can also be used for construction, repairs and maintenance of high-rise structures.
2. Description of the Related Art
Currently, the prototype application for the USA patent “High-Rise Fire-Fighting, Rescue and Construction Equipment” (Ser. No. 10/663,260, filing date—Sep. 16, 2003, comprises a device having an elevator portion—for traveling vertically up and down outside of a building, and a crane portion—to extend an arm (telescopic) to a desired location. The telescopic arm consists of two parts, which are interconnected with the help of a pivoting mechanism. The telescopic arm has a pivot at its end, attached to a cramp, with the help of a vertical rotating mechanism. The cramp, also, is pivoted, with the help of vertical rotating mechanisms, to an outside platform supplied with a barrier; a cabin is hanged onto the platform. The cabin itself can rotate 360 degrees around its vertical axis—with the help of a rotating mechanism. The cabin has a passenger compartment inside, with sliding doors—to ensure safe work of personnel and for evacuation of people.
An outside platform supplied with a barrier has a fire-fighting equipment—to access all parts of a building. The crane portion can also haul building materials to any part of a building under construction and can be used for window washing (hand-washing) or other maintenance activity on the building.
The elevator portion has a passenger compartment with sliding doors—for connection with the cabin; and a vertical aperture with a staircase—for connection with a rescue elevator. The elevator portion, with its wheels and driving cog-wheels, has connection with the attachable section of an H-shaped rail. The attachable section can be mounted on a building wall, with consequent connection to a permanently mounted on this wall H-shaped rail.
The prototype structure doesn't allow a completely mechanized installment of the attachable section of the H-shaped rail—to a building wall; and, to make a completely mechanized washing of building walls and windows (with the help of a cabin).